After weeks of intense internal debate and a marathon overnight session, the House of Representatives narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping fiscal package, colloquially termed the “big, beautiful bill,” on Thursday morning.
The 215-214 vote marks a significant legislative step for the Trump administration and House Republicans, though the bill, officially titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” now faces a challenging path in the Senate, where substantial revisions are anticipated.
The legislation, a cornerstone of President Trump’s economic agenda, aims to make permanent the 2017 Trump tax cuts, introduce new tax breaks such as those on tips and overtime pay, and enact approximately $1.5 trillion in federal spending cuts.
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These cuts include implementing Medicaid work requirements and repealing tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill also allocates significant funding for border security and defense initiatives.
The passage was a hard-fought victory for House Republican leadership, who grappled with dissent from various factions within their party.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus had threatened to derail the legislation as recently as Wednesday, demanding more aggressive spending cuts. Last-minute negotiations and amendments, including adjustments to the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap and an earlier start date for Medicaid work requirements, were crucial in securing the necessary votes.
In a sign of the tight margins and lingering concerns within the GOP, two Republican Representatives, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio, joined all Democrats in voting against the bill. Representative Andy Harris of Maryland, Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, voted present.
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The marathon session leading to the vote saw House Democrats employ procedural tactics to delay the final decision, pushing the vote into the early hours of Thursday.
The House Rules Committee had met for an extended session, concluding late Wednesday night, to mark up the more than 1,000-page bill and incorporate a 42-page manager’s amendment containing numerous late-stage revisions.
House Speaker Mike Johnson hailed the passage as a fulfillment of promises made to the American people. “To put it simply, this bill gets Americans back to winning again,” he stated following the vote.
However, the bill’s future in the Senate remains uncertain. Senate Republicans hold a slim majority, and some have already expressed reservations about certain provisions within the House version. Significant changes are expected, which could then create further hurdles if the revised bill returns to the House, potentially reigniting opposition from conservative hardliners.
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Democrats were united in their opposition, criticizing the package as a giveaway to the wealthy that would slash crucial social programs and increase the national debt. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries characterized the bill as a “reckless, regressive and reprehensible GOP tax scam.”
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” now moves to the Senate, where debates are anticipated to be equally, if not more, contentious as lawmakers grapple with its broad fiscal implications.
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